Bustle & Sew Magazine Issue 160 May 2024 Sampler

A Bustle & Sew Publication

Copyright © Bustle & Sew Limited 2024

The right of Helen Grimes to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. However, due to differing conditions, tools and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book.

First published 2024 by:

Bustle & Sew Station House

West Cranmore

Shepton Mallet

BA4 4QP

www.bustleandsew.com

WelcometotheMayMagazine

Hello everyone!

And here we are in the very merry month of May. The trees are a bright vivid green, the lilac is in bloom and, best of all, the swallows have returned to our village. I love to watch them overhead in the summer months, swooping and gliding in search of insects, and especially enjoy the babies’ wobbly first flights, though it doesn’t take much practice before they are as accomplished aeronauts as their parents!

We don’t have any swallows in this month’s magazine, but we are certainly enjoying the great outdoors, an in particular the garden with a number of projects and articles celebrating gardening - a favourite pastime of so many of us. I think one of my favourite discoveries however, whilst researching the magazine, was that an embroidered cushion formed a vital piece of evidence in a trial for high treason. And to think, embroidery was considered to be a harmless pastime!

The June Magazine will be published on Thursday 30 May, in FIVE weeks time, but until then I hope you enjoy this edition, and have a lovely month with lots of time for (hopefully in your garden) stitching!

Very best wishes

Helen xx

The coming of May has always been a time for celebration. If we welcome the warm weather now, with all the comfort of our centrally heated homes and thermal clothing to keep us snug during the winter months, then think how even more eagerly the month was welcomed when the only source of heating in a cottage would have been an open fire, and possibly a cooking range, around which drenched heavy woollen clothing and leather boots had to be dried out. May really is the last month of spring, the short cold days are behind us now and summer is just around the corner - what’s not to celebrate?

The party begins on the first of the month with the traditional pagan festival of May Day when ceremonies were - and in some places still are - performed, symbolising the turning cycle of the year and welcoming in the summer months. The

May

maypole, itself a symbol of fertility, was erected on the village green and decked with long coloured ribbons. Children would then dance around the maypole, weaving in and out, plaiting and unplaiting the ribbons.

A May Queen was chosen from amongst the young unmarried girls to represent the reincarnation of Flora. In some places a Lord of the May was also elected and Jack-in-the-Green, representing Spring, performed his ritual dance. The May Queen would take a garland or hoop of flowers to the church serenaded by musicians and Morris dancers. I

t was said that fairies and witches were particularly mischievous on May Day, particularly in the dairy where they would seek to bewitch the milk and butter.

“Thespringisfreshand fearless

Andeveryleafisnew, Theworldisbrimmedwith moonlight, Thelilacbrimmedwith dew.

Hereinthemovingshadows Icatchmybreathandsing-Myheartisfreshand fearless

Andover-brimmedwith spring.”

MakingPlansforthe Garden

Averyhappyeveningwasspentoverthe gardeningbook. Lucillamadealistofthe seedsthatwouldbewantedtocarryoutwhat wasreallyquiteabrilliantschemeforayear’s flowergrowing.

“Perhapsyou’reright,”sheowned, “somethingmightbedonewiththisgarden. Andthere’llbeallthesoftfruitcomingalong inthesummer.”

“ Yes,that’sright,itsayssointhe book. Currantsandraspberriesand gooseberries-allthesquashykinds. Hard fruit’sthesortontrees-applesandpears. We mightmakejam,put on theboard.”

“And“ ifonlywehad fowls.”

“And ifwehadacow.”

“And ifwehadapig.

“Andeverythingthatpeopledosellifonly we’droomtogrowit-ifthiswereadecentsizedhouseinsteadofachocolate-box.”

Late 17thc painting of a tapestry made for a wedding in 1423

A(very)LittleHistoryof Shepherd’sHuts

The modern shepherd’s hut is very different to those of the past having reinvented itself as a a garden retreat, holiday let or home office, much larger and definitely a lot more comfortable than those of days gone by. I also have a couple of these modern huts (into which no shepherd, to the best of my knowledge, has ever stepped) and so I thought it would be interesting to take a little look at the history of these huts….

Historians have traced shepherd’s huts back to 1596, where an early text reads…

‘the Shepheard hath his Cabbin going upon a wheel for to move here and there at his pleasure’.

Most people think they date from the Victorian era with their cast iron wheels and curved corrugated iron roof. They were a familiar sight across England, where they were an important part of country peoples’ lives. Possibly the most famous shepherd’s hut in literature is described by Dorset novelist Thomas Hardy, in the second chapter of his 1874 novel “Far from the Madding Crowd”, where it is the temporary home of the hero of the novel, Gabriel Oak.

Originally, shepherd’s huts provided welcome shelter from our unpredictable weather – as well as offering them a place to rest and escape from the elements during the lambing season, which would typically take place during the colder months of late winter and early spring. Owning a shepherd’s hut allowed farmers to practice better land management; the sheep flock was ‘folded’ or fenced with hazel hurdles across the downs, manuring the ground as they went.

A shepherd’s hut had space for a pot belly stove, intended for basic cooking and warmth, a bed and sitting area. There was usually a corner cupboard for bare essentials and veterinary medicines. The bed would often accommodate space underneath for unwell or orphaned lambs.

TheMerryMonthof May

Noagecanhaveeverything,andinmaterial waysoursismorefortunatethananypreceding one. Wehaveourwireless,adailyfireside miracle;ourquicktransport,whichwouldhave seemedalmostasmiraculoustoourancestors; theblessingsofmodernsurgeryandmedicineto prolonglife;machinerytoshortenourlabour, andmerchandisebroughtfromtheendsofthe earthtomakeuscomfortable.

Withtheseandallourotheradvantagesinhand, itseemsungracioustolookbackwithanytouch ofenvytothepast;yettherearetimeswhenwe feelthatmoderncomforthasbeentoodearly bought,andthatwewouldgladlyexchangeour twentieth-centuryconveniencesforashareof thatinnocentjoyoflifewhichourancestors acceptedasamatterofcourse. Notthatthemen andwomenofMerrieEnglandescapedsorrow andsuffering;theyhad,indeed,morethantheir fullhumanshareofthem;butaneasy conscience,largelyduetotheunshakenfaithof thetime,lefteachoneofthemamarginof spiritualenergywithwhichtoenjoylife. When workwasdone,theywerejustasreadytothrow themselvesintoplayastheyhadbeenintowork, andplayforthemdidnotmeanafeverish expenditureofmoneyandenergy,butaplacid enjoymentofthehomelypleasuresattheirdoors. Foremostamongstthesewerethepleasures broughtbythechangingseasons-theharvesthomesupper,theChristmasmummings,orthe celebrationofthefeastdayofthesainttowhom thevillagechurchwasdedicated.

Happiestandmostlight-heartedofallwerethe MayDayrevels. Afterthelongclosed-inwinter, thefirstofMaycameasthemostimportantand long-looked-forward-tolandmarkintheyear. Oneveryvillagegreenamaypolewasraisedand crownedwithgarlands;theMayQueenwas

chosen;thereweregamesforthechildren,dancingon thegreenfortheyoung,andgoodhome-brewed, flavouredwithpleasantchat,fortheelders.

ThisdayofalltheyearwasthePeople’sDay. None weretoorichandproudortoopoorandhumbleto participateinapleasurewhichneedcostnothingand wasopentoall. TheLadyoftheManor,inherstiff brocade,movedfreelyamongstthegreyandscarlet cladvillage-wives. Herdaughters,liketheirs,had beenupandoutatdawntowashtheirfacesinthe morningdew,andnowtrippedasgailyuponthe greensward,settingtopartnerswiththeyoung yeomenwithasmuchzestastheywouldto“m’Lord” intheirLondonballroomsontheirrarevisitstotown.

Norwasthefeastexclusivelyacountrymerrymaking. TownSquaresandMarketPlaceshadtheir maypolestoo. Londonitselfraisedoneyearlyinthe Strand,andoneofthenoblestofourqueen-consorts wentmayingtoGreenwichHilltodipherfaceinthe dew.

Inlateryears,afterthemaypolehadbecomeathingof thepast,thechildrenstillkeptupthefestival,ranging theflower-deckedanddew-besprinkledcountryside onMaymorning,showingtheirgarlandsatevery house. Othertimes,othermanners. Nomoreshallwe seeamaypoleintheStrand,orhearofaQueenof EnglanddippingherfaceintheMaydew. TheMay festivitieshavebeenrevivedinafewplaces,andthe motoristonacountryroadmaysometimescome acrossamaypolewithstreamersandgarlands complete,butthesenewMayrevelsarefarremoved fromthoseofthepast.

AlltheperfumesofMayaredelicious. Thelilacsets thepredominatingscentinthegarden,freshandpure andhauntinglysweet;thenuponthehillsthereisthe rich,warm,ripe-fruitandalmondflavourofthegorse, whileawayinthevalleyswholeregionsarefilledwith therainyfreshnessofthehawthorn. Butthescentof thewoodsismoresubtlethanthese;itiscompounded ofathousandfragrances;thehyacinthperfumeofthe bluebellisinit,thespicinessofpine,andthemoist freshnessofmossandfernandtree-bark.

TheGardeninSpring

Therearesomanybird-cherriesroundme,greattreeswithbranchessweepingthegrass,andtheyareso wreathedjustnowwithwhiteblossomsandtenderestgreenthatthegardenlookslikeawedding. Ineversaw suchmassesofthem;theyseemedtofilltheplace. Evenacrossalittlestreamthatboundsthegardenonthe east,andrightinthemiddleofthecornfieldbeyond,thereisanimmenseone,apictureofgraceandglory againstthecoldblueofthespringsky.

Mygardenissurroundedbycornfieldsandmeadows,andbeyondaregreatstretchesofsandyheathandpine forests,andwheretheforestsleaveoffthebareheathbeginsagain;buttheforestsarebeautifulintheirlofty, pink-stemmedvastness,faroverheadthecrownsofsoftestgreygreenandunderfootabrightgreen wortleberrycarpet.

From Elizabeth and her German garden, 1898 (Elizabeth von Arnim 1866-1941)

A(very)LittleGuidetotheSeamRipper

Seam rippers are a very important part of your sewing kit - after all, nobody’s perfect and we all make mistakes sometimes!

They come in various sizes - below are the large and small versions that I possess - the small white version that Miss Poppy Mouseling is holding actually came with my sewing machine. The larger one is great for heavy fabrics and they both have very sharp points used to pick up and cut stitches. Their blades are very sharp for cutting threads and the ball-tipped point is there to protect the fabric from the sharp point of the seam ripper.

To use your seam ripper for its primary purpose of removing a whole seam the you can either lay the seam flat and run the ripper along it. Be sure to use your seam ripper with the ball on the underside of the seam

which significantly reduces the risk of accidentally slicing into your fabric. A more time consuming approach is to lay your work on a flat surface then cut every third or fourth stitch by inserting the point into the stitch you want to cut, then pushing it beneath the stitch until the blade cuts the thread. Then turn the seam over and pull out the whole thread in one go. You’ll be left with snipped threads on your fabric that can be removed with a lint roller or sticky tape.

Seam rippers are also great for cutting a neat accurate slit between the two lines of stitching on machine made buttonholes. Push a pin through either end of the buttonhole to stop your blade cutting through the bars at each end.

PeaandBroad BeanShakshuka

Ingredients

● 1 bunch asparagus spears

● 200g sprouting broccoli

● 2 tbsp olive oil

● 2 spring onions, finely sliced

● 2 tsp cumin seeds

● large pinch cayenne pepper, plus extra to serve

● 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped

● 1 small pack parsley, finely chopped

● 50g shelled peas

● 50g podded broad beans

● 4 large eggs

● 50g pea shoots

● Greek yogurt and flatbreads, to serve

Method

● Trim or snap the woody ends of the asparagus and finely slice the spears, leaving the tips and about 2cm at the top intact. Finely slice the broccoli in the same way, leaving the heads and about 2cm of stalk intact.

● Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the spring onions, sliced asparagus and sliced broccoli, and fry gently until the veg softens a little, then add the cumin seeds, cayenne, tomatoes (with their juices), parsley and plenty of seasoning, and stir.

● Cover with a lid and cook for 5 mins to make a base sauce, then add the asparagus spears, broccoli heads, peas and broad beans, cover again and cook for 2 mins.

● Make 4 dips in the mixture. Break an egg into each dip, arrange half the pea shoots around the eggs, season well, cover with a lid and cook until the egg whites are just set.

● Serve with the rest of the pea shoots, a spoonful of yogurt and some flatbreads, and sprinkle over another pinch of cayenne, if you like.

APackedLunch

MrsComstockwasupearly,and withoutawordhandedElnorathe caseassheleftthenextmorning.

“Thankyou,mother,”saidElnora andwentonherway.

Shewalkeddowntheroadlooking straightaheaduntilshecametothe cornerwheresheusuallyenteredthe swamp. Shepaused,glancedthatway andsmiled. Thensheturnedand lookedback. Therewasnoone cominginanydirection. She followedtheroaduntilwellaround thecorner,thenshestoppedandsat onagrassyspot,laidherbooksbeside herandopenedthelunchbox. Last night’sodourshadinameasure preparedherforwhatshemightsee, butnotquite.

Shecouldscarcelybelievehersenses

Halfthetreadcompartmentwas filledwithdaintysandwichesofbread andbuttersprinkledwiththeyolkof eggandtheremainderwiththree largeslicesofthemostfragrantspice cakeimaginable.Themeatdish containedshavedcoldham,ofwhich sheknewthequality,thesaladwas tomatoesandcelery,andthecupheld preservedpear,clearasamber. There wasmilkinthebottle,twotissue wrappedcucumberpicklesinthe foldingdrinkingcup,andafresh napkininthering.

Nolunchwaseverdaintierormore platable;ofthatElnorawasperfectly sure. Andhermotherhadpreparedit forher! From

Beadedcoversareapretty,eco-friendlywaytokeepfoodanddrinksinsect-freewhen you’relayingyourtablereadyforanalfrescofeast! Youcanpurchaseready-made,or they’requickandeasytomakeyourself…

Cuttwocirclesoflinenormuslinandstitchthemtogether,withrightsidesfacing, leavingasmallgap. Turnrightsideoutandstitchthegapclosed,thenpressflat-oryou cansimplyhemasquareoffabric.

Useembroideryflosstoattachthebeadsaroundtheedge:makealoopeveryinch,thread onabead,thenbackstitchtosecuretheloopinplace.Alternativelybuybeadsready stitchedtocottontape,andsewlengthsontothecovers.

TheLilacisin Bloom

Justnowthelilacisinbloom, Allbeforemylittleroom;

Andinmyflower-beds,Ithink,

Smilethecarnationsandthepink; Anddowntheborders,wellIknow,

Thepoppyandthepansyblow…

Oh!theretheehestnuts,summerthrough, Besidetherivermakeforyou

Atunnelofgreengloom,andsleep

Deeplyabove;andgreenanddeep

Thestreammysteriousglidesbeneath,

Greenasadreamanddeepasdeath.

-Ohdamn!Iknowit!andIknow

HowtheMayfieldsallgoldenshow;

Andwhenthedayisyoungansweet, Gildgloriouslythebarefeet

Thatruntobathe…..

Oh,isthewatersweetandcool, Gentleandbrown,abovethepool?

Andlaughstheimmortalriverstill

Underthemill,underthemill?

Say,istherebeautyyettofind?

Andcertainty?andquietkind?

Deepmeadowsyet,fortoforget

Thelies,andtruths,andpain?….oh!yet

StandstheChurchclockattentothree?

Andistherehoneystillfortea?

AlittlelookatHandEmbroideryThreads

Tocreateabeautifulpieceofhandembroideryyoumustchoosenotonlytherightfabric,butthebestthreadstoo. Themostcommonlyusedarecotton,silkandwool-readilyavailableacrosstheglobe. Let’stakealookatthese three(andmore)….

Cotton

Strandedfloss

Stranded cotton thread - popularly referred to as embroidery floss - is by far and away the most commonly chosen fibre for hand embroidery. It’s easy to find too - as it’s sure to be in stock at your local hobby/crafting or haberdashery store. There are also hundreds of online suppliers to choose from - though if you’re planning to purchase online it’s a good idea to invest in a shade card as the colours displayed on your

screen are by no means guaranteed to be accurate.

Whatever the brand - and do choose carefully as some of the cheaper brands are not nice to work withyour stranded cotton floss will consist of six separate strands that it’s really easy to separate. To separate the strands pull the required length from the skein (there is a right and wrong end to pull - the right end is usually found at the end of the skein closest to the numbered band. If you pull the wrong end you will end up with a nasty tangled mess!) When you’ve cut your length pull the threads apart

gently at the centre allowing them to gently untwist from each other.

Perle(orPearl)Thread

This is a tightly twisted, lustrous thread that isn’t divisible. This tight twist gives it a more textured effect than stranded floss and the stitches tend to look more “plump” against the background fabric. It owes its lustrous, pearly finish to a process called mercerization. As you can’t divide this thread it is available in different weights or thicknesses. The four generally available are 3, 5, 8 and 12. 3 is the heaviest and 12 the finest thread.

HomeComforts

Aflowerpetalsaladisaquintessentialsummerdishthatwecan enjoyonlywhenourgardencomesintobloom.

Edibleflowersincludemarigolds(calendula),rosesandnasturtiums, aswellasfloweringherbssuchaschives,thyme,mint,fenneland starry-flowererdblueborage.

Beginwithabaseofsaladleavesinashallowdish,thenaddsweet cherrytomatoes,slicedradishesandalittlewatercress. Scatterwith theflowersandservewithasuitablyfloweryvinaigretteandenjoy thetasteofearlysummer.

TheRoyalSchoolofNeedleworkwasfoundedin1872witha missiontopreservetheartofhandembroidery.

Tomarkits150thanniversarytheRSNlaunchedtheRSN StitchBanktocontinuethismission.

TheRSNStitchBankaimstodigitallyconserveandshowcase thewidevarietyoftheworld’sembroiderystitchesandthe waysinwhichtheyhavebeenusedindifferentculturesand times.

TheRSNStitchBankisanongoingprojectandnewstitches areaddedregularly.TheRSNwillbeworkingwithpartners aroundtheworldtoincludestitchesfromdifferenttraditions.

Everyyearwelosehistorictextilesthroughwear,age,andthemoreaggressiveroutesofwar,neglectand destruction.

Weknowthatstitchesfromhistoryhavebeenlostbecausetheyfalloutofuse.Then,whenanolder embroideredpieceisdiscovered,curatorsandmuseumstaffcannotrecognisethestitches.Textilesandthe knowledgeofstitchesthroughouttheworldcontinuetobethreatenedbywarsandotherdisturbances,aswell aschangesinmanufacturingprocesses.

StitcherscanusetheRSNStitchBanktofindanewstitchtouseinaprojectandlearnhowtomakeitusing videos,writteninstructions,illustrationsandphotographsforeachstitch.Researchers,curators,historians andstudentscanusethesitetolearnabouttheuse,structureandhistoryofeachstitchinarangeof embroiderytechniquesandtoidentifyastitchonatextile.

Youcanbrowsethestitchwallhere

Youcanalsocreateyourownfolderandsavethestitchesyouaremostinterestedin. Itisallcompletelyfree andanamazingresourceforstitchers!

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